The "Rising" Generation.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 376, 12 November 1889, Page 2

The "Rising" Generation.

Thu many friends of the Rev. T. J. Wills, who formerly resided in Gisborne, will feel highly amused to know that that gentforifori has fallen under the, displeasure of rhe .boys in the Opotiki District School, when they hear the result. “Boys will be boys” is a played out proverb, and boys are men already, and have tijeir studies and their indignation pieetlngs and qthefwi’f? try to ape the man, much to the horror of the boys of older schools. It appeal’s that one “Demos” wrote a letter to the Tauvanga Mail, in which the writer treated the youth of the Opotiki dist-ict to a Sunday school lecture on their evil way?. Tho schoolboys put on the cap, or rather, as in moet of such cases, some elderly person put'oh the cap for them, and crediting the authorship of the letter to the Rev. T. J. Wills, got up an indignation meeting ! The Chairman, one of tlia boys we suppose, had an address prepared, which he read, Afier reading this address, which feveiied in adjectives and epithets, no one was inclined to speak, Several resolutions ..were put. The Opotiki ' Hetalq describes this part of the proceedings i —•• The Chairman then said :—The following resolutions I will lay before you separately, and ask for remarks either of approvalordisapproval :—“That this meeting declared itself in favor of the present secular system of education as established iq this cqlony.” Any remarks to make! AU wflo ire in favor of the resolution will say “Aye,” contrary, “No," Carried unanimously. The Chairman'then read the foVowlng extract from “Demos” letter, "That the fruit of fifteen years’ sowing is ripening fast; Irrevovsnca and open godlessnos* have become so old amongst qs as to be regarded by the majority of the people as an old sore that cannot be cured; but the most oharifftbly disposed, or the most apathetic of ifocen> people are not likely to settle down to aiiuietoent' tolerßtion of the itr.morality now fife amongst us !" ' ‘ Resolved—“As tuis passage, taken in eonjunction with the previous part Of the letter, implies that the scholars who have been educated at the Opotiki District School are irreverent, godleto and immoral, that the meeting indignantly denies the accusation ; defies " Demos ” to prove it; anfl oonsiders it a gross slander on the community." Carried unanimously, and with acclamation. Resolved that in the opinion of the meeting the writer of the letter signed “ Demos ” is a slanderer, a creator of sedition, and strife, and one whose writings are not consistent with the truth. Carried unanimously. The Chairman then explained that the meeting had been hurriedly called together and that, these were all the resolutions he had to lav before them. He thought,.before closing the mee'ing. three groans should be given fir “ Damns," and three heerfv cheers for their old and highly respected teacher whom “ pemert ” had endeavored to malign,